保たもつ

た

も

つ

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

保つ · godan verb (-tsu)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	保たもつ	保たもたない
Polite	保たもちます	保たもちません
Past polite	保たもちました	保たもちませんでした
Past	保たもった	保たもたなかった
Te-form	保たもって	保たもたないで
Desire	保たもちたい	保たもちたくない
Potential	保たもてる	保たもてない
Passive	保たもたれる	保たもたれない
Causative	保たもたせる	保たもたせない
Causative passive	保たもたせられるalso 保たもたされる	保たもたせられないalso 保たもたされない
Volitional	保たもとう
Polite volitional	保たもちましょう
Imperative	保たもて	保たもつな
Conditional	保たもてば	保たもたなければ
Tara conditional	保たもったら	保たもたなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-tsu), transitive verb

keep; maintain; preserve

Transitive: actively keep something in a certain state, preserve it, or maintain it over time. Often used with abstract nouns like 健康, 秩序, 関係.

健けん康こうを保たもつために、毎まい日にち運うん動どうしている。
I exercise every day to maintain my health.
両りょう国こくは長なが年ねん友ゆう好こう関かん係けいを保たもってきた。
The two countries have maintained friendly relations for many years.

godan verb (-tsu), intransitive verb

last; keep; be durable

Intransitive: something lasts, endures, or stays in good condition without external effort. Common for food, goods, or abstract states.

このパンは冷れい凍とうすれば一いっヶか月げつは保たもつ。
This bread will keep for a month if frozen.
彼かれの集しゅう中ちゅう力りょくは長ながくは保たもたなかった。
His concentration didn't last long.

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Usage patterns

〈事こと〉を保たもつto maintain a condition or state (e.g. health, order)
健けん康こうを保たもつために毎まい日にち運うん動どうしている。
I exercise every day to maintain my health.
〈物もの〉が保たもつfor something (food, goods, batteries) to last or stay in good condition
このバッテリーは充じゅう電でんなしで一いち日にちは保たもつ。
This battery lasts a whole day without charging.
〈人ひと〉との関かん係けいを保たもつto maintain a relationship with someone
彼かれとは今いまも良よい関かん係けいを保たもっている。
I still maintain a good relationship with him.
〈相あい手て〉との距きょ離りを保たもつto keep one's distance from someone or something
前まえの車くるまとの距きょ離りを保たもって運うん転てんする。
I drive while keeping my distance from the car in front.
バランスを保たもつto keep one's balance
自じ転てん車しゃの上うえでバランスを保たもつのは難むずかしい。
It's hard to keep your balance on a bicycle.

Expressions

命いのちを保たもつpreserve life; keep alive
平へい和わを保たもつmaintain peace; preserve peace
平へい静せいを保たもつkeep calm; maintain composure; keep one's temper

Kanji

保protect, guarantee, keep

Related words· 7

維い持じN2sense 1
維持する is more formal and typically used for systems, institutions, or abstract conditions, while 保つ is the everyday word for keeping something in a state.
保ほ存ぞんN3sense 1
保存する focuses on storing or preserving something as-is (often for later use), whereas 保つ stresses ongoing effort to maintain a state.
持じ続ぞくN1sense 2
持続する emphasizes something continuing or persisting over time, while 保つ emphasizes actively keeping a state unchanged.
キープN1
保つ is a native Japanese verb for keeping a condition steady, whereas キープする is used in more casual, sporty, or businesslike contexts.

Show 3 more

持もつN5
保つ specifically means to preserve a state, balance, or condition, whereas 持つ only takes on that 'maintain' sense with certain nouns like 連絡 or 関係.
支ささえるN3
保つ means to maintain or keep a state as it is, whereas 支える implies actively holding something up or sustaining it against pressure.
つなぐN3
保つ is a purely abstract word for maintaining a state or condition, while 繋ぐ keeps the imagery of a link when used for relationships or traditions.

Opposites

崩くずれるN3sense 1
保つ means a state (like order or balance) is kept intact, while 崩れる means that state collapses or falls apart.
痛いたむN2sense 2
保つ (of food or goods) means it stays in good condition, while 傷む means it spoils or deteriorates.
絶たやす
保つ means 'to maintain/keep going', the opposite of 絶やす which means to let something run out or die.
変かえるN5
保つ means to keep or maintain something as it is, the opposite of 変える, which means to alter it.

Don't confuse with

持もつN5
持つ (もつ) means 'to hold or possess' physically, while 保つ (たもつ) means to maintain a state or condition over time, and the two are easily confused because of their similar kanji.
保ほする
保つ means to maintain or keep a state, while 保する means to guarantee or secure something, despite sharing the kanji 保.

Word family

保たもち続つづける
maintain; keep up; continue to have

Written forms

保つUsage98%
- たもつ
  Standard kanji spelling for both transitive and intransitive uses.
- もつ
  irregular kana usage
たもつUsage2%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the intended nuance is broad.
もつ
irregular kana usage

Etymology

The kanji 保 (preserve, protect) combines 人 (person) and 呆 (dull, foolish), originally suggesting a person guarding something. The native Japanese reading たもつ is of uncertain derivation.